I can tell that since I got back on the steel horse (bicycle) last month, after basically two months off, my legs can get me up hills much more capably now than they could a month ago. I’m enjoying that.
#bikemore24challenge 174/316
Oh hey Bluesky does video now, right? @melbeast.bsky.social @virginiabarksdale.bsky.social I got something for y’all from last night
#bikemore24challenge #buns #rabbit #bunsasinrabbits #sorrytodisappoint
Viewed from the Virginia end of Key Bridge is the Potomac River waterfront of Georgetown, in Washington, DC. The infamous Watergate Hotel is at the eastern end.
When I have to go into the office—and when I can do that by bike—my commute takes me through Georgetown. It doesn’t necessarily “need” to, but crossing Key Bridge in sunny weather is something I’ve always enjoyed.
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 157/297
Fiery pink clouds in a blue-lavender sunset sky
I stopped doing #BikeMore24Challenge posts because my bike was in the shop for basically all of August & September and I’m embarrassed by how low my score has gotten… 144/278 as of today.
But that’s still 51%, which wins elections, so 🤷
Towering dark-gray clouds in an evening sky, looking to threaten rain.
Got home today without being rained on, which felt like a minor miracle. #BikeMore24Challenge day 135/221
now see the secret to saving on your A/C bill is, go biking on sun-baked asphalt when it’s 93°F with 60% humidity (for a “feels like” of 103°F).
Then when you get back to your place, where the thermostat’s at a balmy 77°F, that’ll feel like a walk-in freezer
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 116/182
A yellow lab swims in a creek, a red ball in its mouth
A small brown dog stands on rocks beside a creek, a tennis ball in its mouth, wearing a purple checked bandanna and a collar.
The photo of the brown dog, viewed in Apple’s “Siri Knowledge” iPhone interface, which suggests the dog is either an American mink or a Southern red muntjac
Dog park be jumpin’. This yellow lab’s name seemed to be Nala, and the brown thing is Darcy the *squints at iphone* southern red muntjac
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 111/175
Skyline beyond trees beyond an industrial park, at the tail end of twilight.
The brightly-lit sports fields of Jennie Dean Park in Arlington, VA, with a car driving past on S Four Mile Run Dr in the foreground.
A brown rabbit sitting on grass, alert, starkly lit from an angle somewhat left of the camera.
Reminded on the way home how nice night biking in the summer can be
(when you’re fortunate enough to have good local infrastructure for it—like a nice paved path, almost completely separate from car traffic, lined with bushes for bun habitats)
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 108/172
Me, dozens of times, a fool: “ugh, there’s no good way to transport iced coffee on my bike, nothing works”
Me, today, a genius of great foresight: “what if, when I know I plan to bike to iced coffee, I bring this reusable tumbler that stays sealed & keeps cold 🤯”
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 107/170
A Capital Bikeshare bike dock, with a bike docked. A sign is taped to the kiosk: “Missing Puppet,” with a picture of a fuzzy pink Muppet-style puppet.
Close-up of the missing puppet flyer. Next to an image of a fuzzy pink Sesame Street Muppet-style puppet, it reads: MISSING PUPPET!! My name is Mr. Fuzzy. I work teaching music and drama to children. was left on a City Bike on June 6th 2024. I am lost. Please if you have found me call 202 677 2018. My owner and children miss me a lot. Thank you so much! Mr. Fuzzy.
Is it messed up that this basically hits me as hard as any missing poster for an actual alive pet
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 106/169
On the side of an eight-story office building, headquarters for LGBTQ lobbying group The Human Rights Campaign, is a giant semi-permanent banner reading “black lives matter” and “black trans lives matter”
Today was pretty good actually. For one thing, finally got a decent shot of the HRC building (via the “bike-past no-look phone photography” technique all the pros use)
(Yeah it’s performative & the org’s problematic. So’s everything in DC. Can we be mad elsewhere)
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 101/164
Got it in my head that Best Buns stopped serving BEC sammies at 10:30, so I hauled keister down here & made it just in time 💪
blew past 6 people w/hi-test bike gear in my t-shirt & cargo shorts… don’t underestimate the speed of a hungry kid about to miss breakfast
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 91/148
Called the bike shop (in only two days, breaking every rule of dating) and they said they’d had to order a part—they’ll have my baby back to me tomorrow afternoon, “hopefully” (🤞😰🤞).
So now I have to do Bike-to-Work Day tomorrow on a bikeshare bike… like a *nerd* 😫
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 86/137
A paved trail leads to a footbridge across a wooded creek. In the foreground is the Pokémon Togekiss, a sort of jet-plane-shaped fairy thing.
Much less wonderful weather for biking today, vs yesterday, but did get out there. And hey, the footbridge from Shirlington Park to Jennie Dean Park is open again! Nice.
#BikeMore24Challenge day 85/135
Panoramic view east from Key Bridge of Washington, DC. Visible as the Potomac River curves away to the south are the Watergate Hotel, the Kennedy Center, and the Washington Monument.
View of the Potomac River, west (upriver) from Key Bridge, seen between the seafoam-green bars of the bridge walkway railing
Curving paved path under green trees lit by golden hour light.
Intersection of two paved paths, green grass, blue sky, golden sunset light, just a lovely evening in the latest days of spring.
Spectacular weather for biking today; absolutely healing to my spirit.
I still have, y’know, a ton of life challenges I have to deal with now that I’m home, but my body’s all “☺️ no no… ☺️ shhh, it’s okay… ☺️ we outran the tigers… we’re fine ☺️”
#BikeMore24Challenge, day 84/134
A Burley Travoy bike trailer in use, including the optional Market Basket accessories. Altogether it looks like a hand-truck for groceries (and it is filled with groceries), but a metal arm attaches it to the seat post of a bicycle.
The same bicycle, with a bike basket on the rear rack. The basket is full to the brim with items in reusable shopping bags, and then there is a whole other soft-sided gray cooler on top of that. The entire pile is twice the height of the bike basket’s walls, held in place somewhat tenuously by some cargo webbing that seems stretched to its limits. Don’t worry, though, it (and I) reached the destination safely!
Big day of groceries—3 separate stores! Took my fully-kitted-out Burley Travoy trailer/hand cart to the first; worked great.
The second, I thought “eh, not getting much there—I can just use my ol’ bike basket.”
Which went how it always goes. 🤦 Someday I’ll learn…
#BikeMore24Challenge day 82/132
Outside on the sunny sidewalk of a city street, a bright-orange table with the letters “BC dc” stenciled on it in blue. Atop the table are an iced coffee and a foil-wrapped sandwich. In the distance beyond, a bright green tree.
Sandwich board on a sunny sidewalk, a black chalkboard with a list of fancy coffee drinks under the heading “Bourbon Coffee Spring Seasonals.” Beyond, a set of two chairs and a table, all painted in gaudy orange with blue accents. Beyond that, the front of Bourbon Coffee, a shop advertising “unique direct trade coffee from Rwanda.”
Brunchtime bike to Bourbon Coffee, which miiiight be my favorite coffee place in DC? Or at least downtown. Other recs welcome, tho
#BikeMore24Challenge day 76/123
A tan beagle wearing a pink harness sniffs at the ground as it walks briskly along a brick walkway
The steeple of historic Christ Church Episcopal in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia is bathed in the glow of sunset; as is a tree next to it
Sunset over Four Mile Run
A Pokémon Go “Party” graphic showing 2.7 total KM explored among three players, whose avatars are shown wearing white-and-purple outfits that are as gaudy as they are implausible
Biked down Mount Vernon Trail to Old Town for Raid Hour again. Beautiful evening, except for the aftermath of what looked like a truly horrific car accident on the GW Parkway, right at Daingerfield Island, snarling traffic both ways. Hope everyone’s OK from that…
#BikeMore24Challenge day 75/122
In the grass along the side of a paved bike path, two small rabbits can be seen
A rabbit, proudly alert in the gleam of a bike headlight
Closeup of a rabbit on a patch of grass
Hey @virginiabarksdale.bsky.social, I got those bun pictures you wanted
#BikeMore24Challenge day 73/120
View of the bike lane down a street lined with verdant trees on a sunny day
On a field of grass before the late-afternoon sun, the Pokémon Gyarados—a cartoon sea serpent—is superimposed by AR. This is the “Shiny” variant, red where the usual would be blue.
Too hot standing still, but just right on the bike. Great day to go out & touch grass. #BikeMore24Challenge day 72/119
